"Former Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca has revisited one of the most talked-about transfers of the modern era, shedding fresh light on how Zlatan Ibrahimovic's move to Barcelona in the summer of 2009 finally came together. Speaking about a deal that promised much but ultimately failed to deliver on the pitch for the Blaugrana, Branca offered crucial insight into the motivations, negotiations and compromises that shaped the transfer."
"That personal motivation proved crucial, as Inter were not actively pushing Ibrahimovic out of the club. Instead, it was Barcelona who began to explore possibilities as part of their new sporting project under Guardiola. Branca then provided a revealing anecdote that underlined just how informal and unexpected the first real breakthrough was. "One day, some people from Barça who were returning from a trip to find a defender for their new sporting project stopped by Milan, called us, invited us to dinner, and began negotiations.""
Marco Branca described how Zlatan Ibrahimovic's transfer to Barcelona in summer 2009 developed slowly and was driven chiefly by the player's ambition to play with Lionel Messi and win the Champions League. Inter were not actively seeking to sell Ibrahimovic; Barcelona initiated contact as part of a new sporting project under Pep Guardiola. Initial negotiations emerged unexpectedly and informally, including an anecdotal dinner meeting after Barça representatives stopped in Milan. The deal involved multiple versions and compromises. The transfer arrived amid great expectations after Barcelona's treble, but the partnership ultimately did not flourish on the pitch.
Read at Barca Universal
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